10 Years of Merlin & Arthur
by Mischel
Summary: This is a short series of fanfics written for and inspired by the prompts for the event "10 Years of Merlin & Arthur" on tumblr, created to celebrate the 10th anniversary since the start of the show, and the 6th anniversary of its end. There will be 7 chapters, one every day. Everything is tagged #merthur10years on tumblr. Series started on Dec 18th and ended on Dec 24.
1. Joy and Sorrow

**Hello everyone! I found this really cool event on tumblr called "Ten Years of Merlin & Arthur", and for every day from now until Christmas, there's a prompt that we should use to create something. So if you want to read more about this and see other people's works, head to tumblr, everything is tagged #merthur10years**

 **As for my fanfic, I've already got ideas for all the prompts, but I've only written this one so far. Every chapter's title is the prompt of the day.**

 **SUMMARY:** Merlin's had another nightmare of Arthur being destined to die (let's all pretend in this fic that what Merlin was told in 5x01 about Arthur's bane was really just a bad dream). Arthur finds him and makes everything better.

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **DAY 1**  
 **December 18th**

 **JOY AND SORROW**

...

" _Since long before you set foot on this Earth, Emrys, I have waited for its arrival with the sorrow in my heart. For even as Camelot flowers, so the seeds of her destruction are being sown. The prophets speak of Arthur's bane. You would do well to fear it, for it stalks him like a ghost in the night. Unless you act quickly, Emrys, even you cannot alter the never-ending circle of his fate._ "

The words haunted Merlin like a nightmare.

The fire in the fireplace was softly crackling as Merlin sat in Arthur's chair in front of it. He tried to relax, but he couldn't.

Those words would not leave his mind.

And the fire kept crackling.

Merlin stared into the flames - forever changing and never staying the same – and wiped a tear from his face.

Was there really no escaping destiny? Was this really what the destiny wanted? To take Arthur away from him? So soon after becoming the king?

Or was this just a nightmare? Simply a dream?

Or was this their future?

Merlin closed his eyes as he tried to banish all those depressing thoughts out of his mind and replace them with something better, something full of love.

 _Arthur_

" _Something's been upsetting you, hasn't it?"_

" _Maybe."_

 _"Was it when I threw water over you?!_

 _"It wasn't very nice."_

 _"It was a bit unfair. Like when you called me fat."_

 _"Why was that unfair?"_

 _"Because I am not!"_

Merlin still remembered how it felt when Arthur started rubbing his head with his knuckles in an effort to try to cheer Merlin up.

 _"Still think I need to get in shape?"_

Merlin chuckled at that memory.

 _"That's better."_

 _"Thanks."_

He didn't know what he'd do if Arthur died. He couldn't live without him, the dragon himself said that they were like two sides of the same coin. Arthur was Merlin's other half. He would never be able to move on from the loss of something like that. It'd be as if he died with Arthur.

His brows furrowed and his dark thoughts returned, showing him what might happen as his gaze got lost in the flames.

He could do nothing as another tear escaped his eye and he realized his cheeks were both already wet from crying.

At that moment, the door opened and the very object of his thoughts entered the room.

"Well, Merlin," Arthur sighed, "even though I know the nature of our . . . relationship has changed over the last few weeks, I never said you could stop being my manserv- _Merlin_?"

Merlin didn't look up. He knew Arthur was staring at him and that he'd already noticed the state in which Merlin was right now.

He heard quiet footsteps towards his chair in front of the fire and then a gentle touch on his shoulder.

"Is that the nightmare again?"

Merlin simply nodded and felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed. Arthur squeezed his shoulder and knelt in front of him, blocking the view of the fire. Merlin didn't want to look at him, he didn't want him to see him like this, but he didn't have a choice when Arthur raised Merlin's chin with his fingers.

Their eyes met and Merlin's filled with more tears.

He never wanted the day when he wouldn't be able to see that face come. He didn't want that future.

"Listen to me, it was just a dream," Arthur smiled at him and wiped away his tears. "The fact that you have magic doesn't automatically mean that you're a seer like Morgana. You can't and don't know the future. It was just a bad dream."

Merlin took a deep breath and nodded. Arthur smiled at him and gently kissed his lips, bringing him closer for an embrace.

Being in love also meant seeing each other vulnerable. Merlin knew that, even though neither of them was very good at it.

He allowed himself to be held and melted into the hug.

"None of your dreams have ever shown the future, so there's no need to worry now," Arthur told him. Merlin nodded and closed his eyes. He felt Arthur take a deep breath as he added, "But I wouldn't mind some of them coming true . . . " Merlin frowned. "Like that live pink blanket? You said that it had wrapped us both together and we-"

"Shh!" Merlin snorted as he pushed Arthur away with a big smile on his face. He couldn't believe Arthur still remembered that. He'd never confide in him about his dreams again!

But Arthur just kept looking at him with this soft smile on his face while Merlin was still smiling.

"That's better," he nodded.

Merlin couldn't stop smiling at him. He loved Arthur so much. He brought him closer again and kissed his lips. He was feeling much better now.

"Thanks."

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! I'll try my best to finish the second fanfic and post it tomorrow :) Thanks for reading!**


	2. Lyrics

**Time for another merthur story! I hope you'll like it! :)**

 **SUMMARY:** Merlin loves to write music, and one day, Arthur catches him writing music right inside Arthur's chambers. He manages to steal a few pages while Merlin runs away embarrassed, but the problem is . . . it's a love song! A love song about Arthur. Oops.

 **DAY 2**  
 **December 19th**

 **LYRICS**

 **...**

Merlin wasn't like other servants. Yes, he was terrible at his job, that was the first difference, but also – he could read and write. Not many commoners had these skills, and Merlin was one of the lucky few. His mother had been one of the lucky few herself and she'd made sure to teach Merlin everything she knew.

It wasn't always to his advantage, for example when Arthur wanted him to write a speech. He couldn't simply say that he couldn't read and write like some of Arthur's previous servants, he had to actually sit down and write the speech.

But usually, he was very grateful that Hunith taught him. Because letters and numbers weren't the only things he could write, he could also write _notes._

Merlin has always loved music, and being able to create it was fascinating to him. He was creating something new without having to use magic. It was incredible!

There weren't many instruments around the castle, but both Arthur and Gaius had at least one old lute that Merlin could use.

He didn't get to write music too often, but it was one of his favourite hobbies.

. . . Until Arthur entered his chambers and caught him sitting at his table, scribbling new notes and words down on the table.

Merlin swallowed and quickly hid the paper and pencil behind his back, standing up.

Thankfully, Arthur didn't even notice it. He just rolled his eyes and closed the door.

"Merlin, I don't even think it's worth asking anymore, but why are you sitting at my table, while my clothes are still unwashed," he gestured towards the full laundry basket, "and it seems like there's dust everywhere?"

Merlin swallowed again and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep."

Arthur frowned at that. "At the table?"

"It's a very comfortable table," Merlin nodded, as if it was nothing strange. "You yourself have fallen asleep on it once, remember?"

Arthur stopped him with his raised hand. "We agreed not to speak of that ever again."

Merlin just grinned at him, causing Arthur to roll his eyes again.

When Arthur went over to the changing screen and said, "just help me get out of this and then fetch me something to eat," Merlin sighed with relief and carefully folded the paper, shoving it into his back pocket.

This was a really close call, but Merlin was very glad that Arthur hadn't noticed what he was doing. This wasn't just a normal song like he usually wrote, this was a . . . uhm . . . this was a _love song._

Yes. A love song. Merlin was blushing just thinking about it.

"Merlin? Where are you?" Arthur called. Merlin blinked and quickly took away Arthur's clothes that he'd threw over the changing screen.

"Right here," he answered as he handed Arthur his clean tunic and trousers.

But still, what was Arthur doing here so early? Merlin had been pretty sure that Arthur was supposed to be training with the knights for at least one more hour.

"What are you doing here so early?" he asked.

Arthur sighed. "Gwaine thought it would be funny to scare Leon since he'd never seen him scream. Of course, his plans went wrong and Leon together with Gwaine ended up falling over each other, right into the weapons rack and-"

"Are they okay?" Merlin quickly interrupted him with concern in his voice.

"Yes, Gwaine's got a little scratch on his back, and naturally, just as I went to help him up, he tripped and a mace ended up falling and landing on my foot."

Merlin couldn't help but smirk a little. "And are you okay?"

"Of course I am," Arthur answered and then cleared his throat. Merlin knew Arthur was just pretending to be strong in front of him, he knew him well.

Of course he did, he was in love with him after all.

But if Arthur was hiding it, it wouldn't be a big injury, probably just a scratch or a new bruise.

"Now go get me dinner, Merlin."

Merlin sighed and turned around to go find something to eat for the king, completely forgetting about the sheet music in his back pocket.

"Wait, what's that?" He heard Arthur ask.

"What?"

Merlin turned around to find Arthur frowning at him. "What's that in your pocket? You never use your pockets for anything, so what's that?"

Merlin didn't know whether to think about the fact that Arthur knew exactly what he used or didn't use his pockets for, or whether to come up with a clever lie, but he couldn't do both at once.

Too late.

All it took was for Arthur to make one step towards Merlin and he reached behind and quickly got hold of the folded pieces of paper.

Merlin swallowed, terrified of Arthur finding out about his feelings. He was so embarrassed that he totally dried up!

"Wait, what is this?" Arthur asked as he opened the paper with an amused smile.

That's when Merlin's self-preservation finally kicked in and he tried to grab the paper. Unsuccessfully.

"It's n-nothing!" he stuttered, his cheeks completely red. He tried to grab the paper again, but Arthur just moved away.

"Are you writing music?" Arthur asked, his smile getting bigger.

It was only a matter of seconds before his smile turned into a smirk and he started making fun of Merlin. And it was only a matter of _minutes_ before he read the lyrics and realized what he was holding.

Merlin's entire heart, all his feelings, spilled onto a few thin sheets of paper.

 _Oh no._

Before any of that happened, Merlin quickly made one last effort to grab the papers, managed to take hold of them, and then ran out of the door, leaving Arthur with the remaining torn papers in his hands.

xoXÖXox

Arthur stood there for a second, trying to understand what just happened and why Merlin seemed to care so much about a few pieces of paper. He really didn't know why Merlin seemed so ashamed.

Yes, if he hadn't left so abruptly, he might have mentioned something about Merlin being _such a girl_ , but Merlin must have known that Arthur never really meant it when he called him that, right?

To be completely honest, Arthur was impressed. He himself had some education in music as well, but he never felt the urge to create music himself, or – Arthur looked down at the papers – come up with some words to fit the melody.

Arthur sighed and sat down to his table, laying the papers on it, one by one. He preserved the order (Merlin had numbered the pages) and took a closer look at the first one, only at the melody.

He couldn't remember the right sound for the notes in his head, but the melody seemed simple and he could tell when it was going up and down, and how long the notes were supposed to last.

"Oh, Merlin," he smirked slightly. Merlin was talented.

Then he finally read the words on the page. He didn't have the beginning, but he had the end of every page.

-in which, every day I almost drown  
So teach me how to swim for I am lost,  
it is you who I love the most.

-and teach me how to fly,  
just imagine how high!  
I wish you were mine,  
for you I would die.

-Why don't you feel the way that I do,  
if only you felt the way that I do,  
you'd understand then that I love you,  
only you.

-I'm someone you're spending your time with,  
oh my god this sucks I'm no wordsmith

Arthur's confusion over embarrassed Merlin disappeared when he finished the lyrics and realized what this was.

A _love song._

His own cheeks were red now when he realized how Merlin must have felt. How he still must have been feeling at that very moment.

Arthur didn't have the entire lyrics, but it was more than obvious now that Merlin was in love with someone and he was embarrassed about it. No wonder he was hiding the papers, it was very private. Arthur felt so stupid for invading Merlin's privacy like this. He had no right to do that.

Arthur's brows furrowed when he realized what this meant.

Merlin was in love someone, and that someone wasn't Arthur. And it never would be, of course it never would be. It was probably some girl, perhaps another servant.

But why couldn't Arthur be lucky, just once? Why couldn't have Merlin chosen him?

Arthur took a deep breath and stood up to look out of the window. He should give the papers back to Merlin and forget any of this even happened, but Merlin was probably trying to avoid him now.

It would have to wait then.

And maybe . . . maybe he'd ask Merlin about the name of the girl of his dreams.

xoXÖXox

Merlin kept pacing through his room, from one wall to the other. He was so nervous he couldn't even sit still. Arthur didn't send for him to finish his chores, so that must have meant only one thing – he read the lyrics and now knew about Merlin's feelings.

Oh no, Merlin's heart started beating faster just when he was thinking about it.

But there was no going back now. Perhaps he should have already told him, then it wouldn't be so embarrassing and Arthur would never have to know that Merlin liked to write music.

He was awful at coming up with words that rhymed and still made sense in the song, but Arthur wasn't as stupid as Merlin liked to think he was. He'd figure it out. Especially because Merlin had been so dumb to even include Arthur's name several times.

His cheeks turned red again as he thought about that.

Yes, his life was over. And he'd have to move back to Ealdor.

"Merlin," Gaius entered his room unnoticed, making Merlin jump a little. "You'll soon walk a hole into the floor," the old man pursed his lips. Then he sighed. "Come for dinner, and you'll sort everything out tomorrow. Writing love songs is no crime in Camelot, so there's no need to be so nervous."

"But, Gaius!" Merlin whined as he followed the old physician to the main room and sat down to the table. "This is a disaster, now Arthur surely knows how I feel, and . . . and . . . and what if he fires me?"

"Fire you for being in love?" Gaius raised his eyebrow. "He'll only take it as a compliment, don't worry. I know Arthur, and he'd never get rid of you permanently."

"But even if he doesn't fire me, he'll still know how I feel, Gaius!"

"Then why did you write a love song in the first place? Love songs are supposed to be sung to the person they are about."

Merlin just frowned at that. Yes, he probably shouldn't have written it, but he couldn't help it and be creative . . . and so _stupid._

"But-"

"Hush, now," Gaius frowned at him. "Stop acting like it's the end of the world and eat your dinner, or it'll get cold." Gaius sighed, and then added, "and don't worry, it'll be alright again."

Merlin sighed and finally took the spoon, starting to eat. He was still freaking out inside, and he'd definitely have troubles sleeping tonight, but at least he'd be able to come up with some sort of an excuse for tomorrow.

And then, everything would get sorted out, just like Gaius said . . .

Merlin dreaded the next day.

xoXÖXox

Just as Merlin had predicted, he couldn't fall asleep the entire night. But he was pretty sure Arthur couldn't either judging by the fact that he didn't even send for him. He knew Merlin hadn't finished his chores.

It was a very difficult morning. Every moment seemed to take ages and merely a few seconds at the same time.

And as if by magic, Merlin soon found himself standing in front of the king's door.

His brain was still in overdrive and he didn't have a single logical excuse. He thought about just giving up and affirming everything, but that was also what he feared the most.

Still, there was probably no choice now. Arthur already knew.

Merlin took a deep breath and entered the chambers with a tray of food in his hands. As soon as he entered, the first thing he noticed was his music on the table, and Arthur - staring at him instead of being in bed. He was standing by the window.

"Ah, Merlin," he greeted him.

Merlin was pretty sure now that Arthur didn't sleep either. The dark circles under his eyes were the proof.

"Arthur," Merlin squeaked and quickly cleared his throat. He closed the door and put the tray on the table. He glanced at Arthur – who went back to staring out of the window – and carefully gathered the papers in his hands.

"I'm-" Arthur started, immediately trailing off. Their eyes met for a moment before Arthur looked down and tried again. "I'm . . . sorry. I shouldn't have taken the . . . _love song_ from you."

Out of everything that Merlin thought he'd hear from Arthur, an apology was not one of them. He wasn't prepared for that. But to be fair, he hadn't been able to prepare himself for anything else either.

He cleared his throat. "It's . . . um, it's okay?"

Arthur only nodded. He probably didn't want to continue talking about thi-

"What's her name?"

Merlin blanked out for a second. "Wh-what?"

Arthur loosely gestured towards the papers on the table. "What's her name? The girl in the song that you're in . . . in _love_ with."

Merlin blanked out again. _What?_ Arthur didn't know that the song was about _him?_ And . . . was it just the way the sun shone on him, or did Merlin see _disappointment_ in Arthur's face?

"No, there's no-" Merlin frowned again and went to the table, Arthur still looking at him. He quickly put all the papers that Arthur had had access to down and skimmed them, realizing that – yes! Arthur only got the bottom halves of the pages, and none of them included his name in them! He didn't know!

"Uh," Merlin cleared his throat again as he silently cheered. "It's . . . it's Ingrith," Merlin found himself nodding, "Yes, Ingrith."

He turned back to Arthur, only to find the disappointment in there now mixed with sadness. The king nodded and looked out of the window again.

Merlin's smile faded.

"Well, I hope that she returns your feelings and that you will be happy."

That didn't sound like the Arthur Pendragon that Merlin knew and fell in love with. That sounded like someone who had just lost all hope and was heartbroken.

But why would Arthur be heartbroken? Unless . . .

Merlin's eyes widened. He looked down at the papers on the table, and then reached into his pocket and fetched the top halves of all the pages. He stared at them for a moment, glanced at Arthur, and then pursed his lips.

His heart started beating faster.

This was the moment of the ultimate decision. Would he do it? Was he brave enough to do it?

His hands were shaking as he took the papers in his hand and put each of them to the corresponding bottom halves.

He was _doing_ this. Here and _now_.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked as he finally left his spot near the window and came closer to the table.

Merlin took a deep breath and turned around to face Arthur. Their eyes met, Arthur's confused and Merlin's scared but determined.

Then he smiled and gestured towards the table. "Take a look."

Arthur frowned at him, but looked down at the table, finding all the pages now complete, top and bottom halves together, finishing the song and the lyrics.

Merlin stepped aside and read the words in his mind together with Arthur.

 **Your** ** _blonde hair_** **is like the sun  
** **Your deep** ** _blue eyes_** **are the oceans  
** in which, every day I almost drown  
So teach me how to swim for I am lost,  
it is you who I love the most.

 **When we first met,  
** **you were a** ** _prat_** **,  
** **then became a friend,  
** **now would you give me a hand,  
** and teach me how to fly,  
just imagine how high!  
I wish you were mine,  
for you I would die.

 _ **Arthur, Arthur, Arthur Pendragon  
**_ **Merlin, Merlin, Merlin,  
** **why isn't it Merlin and** ** _Arthur  
_** **Merlin** ** _Pendragon  
_** Why don't you feel the way that I do,  
if only you felt the way that I do,  
you'd understand then that I love you,  
only you.

 **Your smile makes every day pleasant,  
** **When you say my name, I don't feel like a peasant,  
** I'm someone you're spending your time with,  
oh my god this sucks I'm no wordsmith

Merlin was almost sure that his cheeks were on fire. His heart was racing and he felt every second it took for Arthur to read the entire lyrics.

And when he finally looked up-

Suddenly Merlin wished he could turn back time. What did he do? Why did he decide to tell Arthur? Why was he so stupid? What was he thinking? Disappointment in Arthur's eyes? He was surely only tired-

"Do you really feel that way?" Arthur asked, his voice suddenly soft and, surprisingly, the disappointment in his eyes gone.

Merlin swallowed and slowly nodded.

"I have for a very long time."

There was no time to think. No time to breathe even, before the next thing that happened was already happening. Arthur was a man of actions after all, and it was him who pulled Merlin closer and finally made his dreams come true.

 _Their_ dreams, actually.

There was no hesitation in that kiss, only passion and love. Merlin almost forgot how to stand, but that was alright once he wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck and Arthur supported him by holding his waist.

The only reason it ended was because they both needed to breathe. Merlin took the chance and finally looked at Arthur and saw the love in his eyes. This was no longer mere fantasies, he could _feel_ himself in the moment. It was really happening.

They smiled at each other.

It was at this moment that Merlin remembered what Gaius had told him a couple of weeks earlier.

" _Then go and tell him! What's the worst thing that could happen?"_

" _He could hear me, Gaius!"_

Merlin's smile widened and he leaned in for another kiss.

Gaius was right. And Merlin was glad that Arthur heard him.

*THE END*

 **I really hope you liked it! I wrote the poem myself (which is why it sucks so much), and I even made a little picture as a separator (= instead of xoXÖXox), which you can find on AO3 (archiveofourown DOT ORG / works /** **17073209)**


	3. Colours

**SUMMARY:** It's a big day for Merlin and Arthur. An artist is supposed to come and paint them - the king and his happy husband. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan, and the artist has to start all over. Humor. Also includes a battle of colours and paintbrushes.

 **DAY 3  
** **December 20th**

 **COLOURS**

 **...**

It really was an accident, you see, it shouldn't have happened at all. It wasn't a part of the plan for the day, and yet . . .

It all began with the artist arriving early in the morning. Merlin barely managed to wake up and then wake Arthur up (who, luckily, was sleeping in the same bed as him, in the royal chambers), and then they both had to get ready for the artist to arrive. Without breakfast!

Arthur had paid him to make a portrait of him and Merlin. They were finally ruling the kingdom together, just like Arthur had always dreamed they would be.

"Almost, just . . . " Merlin reached for Arthur's collar and gently pulled it up, brushing his shoulders and smiling up at him. "Done." Arthur leaned down to give him a peck. "Am I done?" Merlin asked and stepped away, turning around on the spot.

Arthur squinted at him, seemingly thinking about it, before he shook his head. Merlin's smile faded.

"You're missing the most important thing, Merlin."

Merlin quickly checked what he was wearing – he didn't forget his trousers, or his socks, shoes or underwear (yeah, that happened once), and every other garment that he was supposed to wear, he was already wearing. He frowned at Arthur in confusion.

Arthur just rolled his eyes and pulled him closer again. "I meant a kiss for good luck," he told Merlin as he kissed his lips and then wrapped him in a tight hug.

"We don't need good luck, it's just a painting, Arthur. We won't be the ones painting."

"Quite frankly, Merlin, _you_ always need good luck." _You're always so clumsy_ , was left unsaid. But Merlin got it and rolled his eyes before he melted into the hug.

He sighed. "Who would have thought? Arthur Pendragon, addicted to hugging his boyf- _husband._ " He still couldn't quite believe that this was how things were now. They were officially together.

"Breathe a word of this to anyone, and . . . " Arthur whispered into his hair, making Merlin chuckle.

"This is the Arthur that I've fallen in love with." He smiled and pulled away, one more time kissing Arthur's lips before they both got ready for the painting one more time.

That was when someone knocked on the door.

"Enter!" Arthur called.

The door opened, and a lanky middle-aged man walked in, carrying a canvas, a few brushes in his hands, and a smile on his face. Two servants who held all the paints and palettes followed.

"It is my pleasure, my lords," the artist bowed slightly, the canvas under his arm making it a bit difficult.

"Welcome to Camelot, Mr Roderick."

"Please, just _Roderick_ is fine, my lord," the artist answered and smiled once more.

Arthur nodded and once the servants put everything on the prepared table in front of them, things could finally get started.

The servants left, the artist prepared his canvas and a small chair in front of it, and he seated Merlin and Arthur together on the bed, where he'd be painting them. The painting could finally begin.

Now Merlin and Arthur were both doomed to sitting on the bed for hours until the painting was finished. Thankfully, they had scheduled a few breaks for eating and using the bathroom.

The first hour was more or less without problems. Merlin kept itching in different places, but the artist assured him that he could move a tiny bit, if he returned back to the original position. Arthur's stomach kept making rumbling sounds because of how hungry he was, and they both kept eyeing the prepared and uneaten breakfast on the table that a servant must have brought in while they were still asleep.

Once the first hour was over, both of them soon realized that this would be agony. Why did paintings take so much time?

Luckily, after roughly 90 minutes, the first break was scheduled.

The artist left the chambers for a short walk to the bathroom, while Merlin and Arthur immediately stood up to stretch and go get the food on the table.

"I'm so hungry," Arthur declared as he started on the bread and ham.

"We should have woken up earlier then," Merlin told him, already biting into an apple.

Arthur only glared at him because it was Merlin's fault that they went to sleep too late and Merlin knew that. He'd taken off his ring to admire it _in the light of the moon_ as he'd said, and when Arthur entered the chambers, he accidentally dropped the ring on the floor. They hadn't been able to find it for another hour and a half, and the worst part was that Merlin didn't know how to use his magic to find it and he didn't want to risk accidentally destroying the ring with magic.

Arthur pouted and Merlin rolled his eyes. "The ring is safe and sound," Merlin assured him as he showed him his finger with the ring.

"Just don't ever take it off again."

They finished their breakfast and when the artist was still not coming back and was elsewhere in the castle, they both went to admire the painting.

When they looked at it, they were both very impressed. The artist had already managed to paint most of the background (just the main colours and outlines), as well as Merlin's and Arthur's bodies (again, only the colours and outlines), and the only thing that was still missing were their heads and joined hands on the bed.

"Well, he got you quite right," Merlin smiled as he leaned closer and admired the outline of Arthur's body.

"Thanks, he got you quite right too-"

"You're fat."

Arthur blinked.

"Excuse me, what?"

Merlin snorted, still admiring the painting from close. He pointed at the outline of Arthur's body. "See? He got you just right."

"I'm not fat!" Arthur exclaimed. Then he looked down at his stomach. "It's just the armour! I've got many layers of clothing and-"

"well I'm mostly wearing the same, and I don't seem fat in the painting."

Arthur knew Merlin didn't mean any of this seriously, he was just teasing him because that was something they often did. But right now?

"Well, he got your ears just as big as they are!" Arthur smirked at him.

Merlin smirked back. "He hasn't painted the faces yet, so there are no ear-"

Arthur grabbed the nearest paintbrush and without thinking, quickly painted two big half circles as Merlin's ears.

Merlin gasped.

"Did you just . . . "

Arthur proudly crossed his arms on his chest and smirked at Merlin, as if he was saying _I'd like to see you try up your game now._

Merlin stared at the ruined painting and then glared at Arthur, but he couldn't _lose._ He smirked at him with determination in his eyes and took the paintbrush from Arthur. He wetted it in the yellow paint and without looking, smashed it into the painting exactly where Arthur's head was.

"Oh look," Merlin faked a surprise, still staring at Arthur. "He got your hair all tousled."

To be honest, Arthur was impressed with Merlin. But he would _not_ let this slide. He'd made sure many times that his hair would never be tousled in a painting. And Merlin _knew_ that.

Arthur smirked and grabbed an entire tube of colour, squeezing it in Merlin's direction. Before Merlin realized what was about to happen, his clothes were ruined.

He grabbed another colour and squeezed it at Arthur's face in defence, completely missing, but at least hitting a part of Arthur's shoulder.

This was no longer mere teasing, this was _war._

xoXÖXox

The artist was just finishing talking to a fellow creative commoner on the courtyard, when he finally headed back to the king's chambers. He knew he was late, but from what he saw earlier, he knew both the king and his consort deserved a long break. They were clearly not used to sitting without moving for long periods of time. Although, an hour and a half didn't seem _that_ long to the artist.

He ran up the stairs finishing an apple that he'd bought earlier and turned the corner, on his way to the chambers.

When he finally opened the door- he did _not_ expect to see what was happening there.

The king was holding a paintbrush with one hand and lord Merlin with his other, while lord Merlin was holding a tube of his best colour, carelessly splashing it all over the royal attire of his king.

Roderick's mouth was agape with shock. "What . . . "

When they noticed him, all movement stopped and everything got silent.

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

Then suddenly, the king and lord Merlin let go of each other, brushing off each other's clothes and returning all the stolen items from the artist's table.

"Roderick, I most humbly apologize-"

"We're terribly sorry-"

They both started apologizing at once, but Roderick didn't really listen. He didn't even close the door as he approached them and looked at the painting – _ruined._ All his work!

"I'll pay you for all of this, Roderick. I am truly sorry."

Roderick didn't know what to say. He couldn't scold the young king because well, he was the _king_ , but to be honest . . . this wasn't his best painting. He'd found himself wishing at least three times that he could erase what he'd already painted, but he couldn't do anything about it until now. So in fact, _this_ was his chance to do better.

But double payment wasn't the worst thing either.

"The colours were expensive, my lord."

King Arthur was already shaking his head. "That is no problem, I'll pay for _everything_ we damaged."

Roderick sighed. "I'll have to start over . . . get a new canvas, and you should, uhm," he very loosely gestured at Merlin and Arthur's _colourful_ clothes. "Should change. But . . . I _have_ to leave Camelot tomorrow morning, so there's really no time for that."

Lord Merlin looked up at the king and although Roderick didn't know what they were both thinking about, they soon turned to him with a smile and told him.

"We don't mind the ruined clothes."

"Just get a new canvas and we'll start over-"

"Even with the ruined clothes."

Roderick eyed them for a second. "Are you sure?" But who was he to question the king and his consort?

When they both nodded, Roderick smiled. "Very well. I will get my spare canvas and get back here to paint you again."

They both thanked him and Roderick once again headed towards the door, this time in search of a new canvas instead of food.

xoXÖXox

Once the artist left, Merlin and Arthur looked at each other and although they felt quite guilty, they couldn't help but laugh. Especially because of how _ridiculous_ the ruined painting looked now.

"I quite like this bit, you know," Merlin smiled as he pointed towards the corner of the painting, where a few splashes of different colours met.

Arthur smiled. "You know what my favourite colour is?"

"What?" Merlin smiled up at him.

"The colour of your hair in the morning before you wake up."

Merlin smirked at him. "Is that even a colour?" He laughed. When Arthur rolled his eyes, Merlin pulled him closer.

"My favourite colour is the colour of your lips . . . just before I kiss you." He stared up at him.

"Like this?" Arthur asked, smirking.

"Exactly like this."

They leaned closer and kissed. Thankfully, none of the colour from their _battle_ ended up on their faces, and the kiss lasted until the artist returned.

He brought a new canvas, setting the ruined painting aside. Merlin and Arthur kept it, and sat back down on the bed, holding their hands, letting the artist begin.

This was time for a painting of the _real_ Merlin and Arthur. And it would be as colourful as their life together would be.

*THE END*

 **I don't like this one at all, but I still hope you enjoyed it! Again, the AO3 version of this includes two little paintbrushes that I drew as a section separator. (archiveofourown DOT ORG / works /** **17086274)**


	4. Scenery & Locations

**SUMMARY:** It's the middle of the night, and Merlin and Arthur are both fast asleep. But their daughter just had a nightmare, and all she wants to hear to calm her mind are stories of the legendary kingdom of Camelot where her parents used to live.

 **DAY 4  
** **December 21**

 **SCENERY/LOCATIONS**

 **...**

It's 2 a.m. in the morning.

Soft summer breeze is going in through the window, making the temperature in the room a little more bearable.

The curtains are moving faintly.

The clock on the bedside table is quietly ticking into the silence of the room.

The moon is illuminating the occupied bed and the door that is left ajar.

Everything is alright.

An immortal all-powerful warlock and a king whose existence has been lost in the mists of time are both sleeping, partially covered with a thin blanket, holding each other tenderly. They have been through enough in their lives, and now, after such a long time . . .

Everything is finally alright.

Except for the little girl in the next room. She's tossing and turning, occasionally moaning. Her dreams are plagued by nightmares, trying to steal her peace and happiness. The little plushie of a knight that she clutches onto is not helping.

Eventually, she wakes up. She gasps and her eyes fill with tears caused by the memory of the vivid dream. She quickly gets out of bed and runs to the other room, where her parents are sleeping.

The gap of the slightly ajar door widens as she enters. Her tiny feet move quickly across the floorboards and soon she's climbing up the bed to shake her dads awake.

"Dad?" she sobs as she grabs the warlock's shoulder. "Dad?"

It's the king that wakes up first. "Sweetheart? What's the matter?"

The warlock awakes soon after.

The girl sobs. "I had a bad dream."

Both her fathers immediately sit up and offer their open arms for their daughter. The little girl climbs into their embrace with her plushie knight still in her arms and finally relaxes as they envelop her in love.

"It was just a dream, Gwen, nothing's going to happen to you, I promise."

"I know, but I'm scared to go to sleep."

"So we'll talk instead," the warlock smiles and kisses her forehead. "What do you want to talk about?"

The girl sniffles and smiles at the king who brushes her tears away. "I want to hear about your castle again."

The fathers share a smile as they agree. "Do you remember its name?"

"Camelot," the girl answers. "It was a big white castle, with many towers and knights." She smiles down at her plushie that she named after her favourite hero of the stories that her father told her – Lancelot.

The king and his warlock share another loving smile. "And there were so many people."

"And houses."

"And horses."

"Wide forests full of animals and big mighty trees."

"Villages, roads, lakes, valleys and rivers."

"There was a sea near the border with rocky shorelines, called the Great Sea of Meredor."

"And there was a huge hedge maze called the Labyrinth of Gedref near it."

"Old ruined castles..."

"Unicorns..."

"A dragon flying in the sky..."

"Hills and lowlands, mountains and caves, fertile fields..."

"And so many people who each had their own stories to tell. Like-"

"You two!" the girl exclaims, her fears forgotten and replaced by excitement. "I love your stories and adventures."

"And we love you, Gwen." They both hug her tightly and she hugs them right back, smiling. She will have no trouble sleeping tonight anymore, but she'll still stay the rest of the night in her parents' bed, where she's safe.

The moon slowly moves in the sky and is no longer illuminating the bed. Time to sleep.

"Can you tell me more about Camelot?" the little girl asks as they all lie down again. She's lying in between them, protected by their bodies from any monsters that might want to enter her dreams again.

Though it is late, telling Gwen stories will eventually send her to sleep, and so the fathers decide to fulfil her wish.

"It was a large kingdom with a big white castle in the middle, with many towers and people."

"It had vast meadows, forests and fields-"

"Mountains, rivers and lakes-"

"And it was a kingdom of good people."

"The kingdom that had it all," the girl murmurs as her eyes slowly close.

 _The kingdom that had it all._

*THE END*

 **I started with a completely different idea connected to the Labyrinth of Gedref (because I put up the map of Camelot on my computer screen, threw a little napkin paper ball at it and . . . it landed there . . . yup), but then I got this idea and tbh I think it's so much better :D I hope you enjoyed it! It's also posted on AO3 of course :)**


	5. AU - Lucky Disasters

**I spent the entire evening trying to write something for today's prompt and every single idea either sucked, or would have to be way longer for which I didn't have time, or both, and then I suddenly got this awesome idea at like 1:30am? Why so late? But regardless, it's 3am now and the fanfic is here!**

 **SUMMARY:** Merlin's really late for work and he accidentally bumps a parked car in his hurry. He doesn't have time to do anything about it, so he just leaves a short message with his phone number behind the windscreen wiper and runs away. A few hours later, a very lonely and now also angry Arthur Pendragon finds the message, and he believes that Merlin and he have a lot to talk about. (Over dinner.)

 **DAY FIVE  
December 22nd**

 **BEFORE & AFTER / AU / CHANGE THE SCENE**

 **...**

Oh my god he was going to be so late! Merlin couldn't believe that out of all the days of this week, he had to oversleep _today_ , when he was already supposed to be at the meeting!

He quickly glanced at the time as he sped up the car. Twenty minutes late was too much already, he couldn't waste time with the speed limit.

But every action had its consequences.

Not five minutes later, while he was attempting to park the car as quickly as possible, he heard a loud _crash._

"Oh no, no no no no, _please_ no," he started pleading as he finished parking and got out of the car. "No," he exclaimed as he noticed he destroyed bumper of the car next to his. He wished he could take it back, but the damage was already done.

What was he going to do now? He couldn't just run and not take responsibility, but he also really needed to get to the meeting or he'd lose his job!

He just stood on the spot, frozen, for several seconds, before he finally made a frantic decision. And probably another stupid one judging by the pressure he was under. But he couldn't waste any more time. He quickly opened the door of his car, found a pen in the glove compartment and a piece of paper that he tore off from one of the papers he'd prepared for the meeting (thank god he'd brought a few blank papers as well), and he wrote a little message there.

 _I accidentally bumped your bumper. I'm really in a hurry,  
so please call or text me and we'll sort it out later._

 _Merlin Emrys  
020x xxxx_

With that done, Merlin put the paper behind the windscreen wiper of the car he just hit, and then shoved the pen into his pocket.

He couldn't wait any longer and started running towards the building where the meeting was taking place.

xoXÖXox

Arthur was just on his way from a very unsuccessful and disappointing date with a guy who had claimed to be at least ten years younger than he really was, when he spotted his car. At first he didn't notice the damage. Instead, he sighed and realized that there was only one possible explanation for his unlucky love life.

He was cursed. Yes, that was it.

When he finally went to his car and fished out the car keys from his pocket, he finally noticed a little piece of paper stuck behind one of the windsreen wipers.

He frowned. What was that?

He took the paper and read the message. "Oh my god, are you serious?" he exclaimed as he rounded the car and saw the totally destroyed bumper.

That was it! He was _definitely_ cursed. And this was the proof.

He grabbed his phone and immediately dialled the number. How could this person just _accidentally_ hit his car? Was whoever did this _blind_?

When the person picked up, Arthur didn't wait and started yelling. "You hit my car? What were you thinking? Do you even know how much is this going to cost?-"

"I'm so sorry, I can't talk right now, I'll call you later, okay? I'm really sorry!" And he ended the call.

Arthur stood there for a few seconds, angry at that _Merlin._ Who the hell did he think he was?

Once Arthur got home that evening, he did the first thing that anyone would do. He sat down in front of his computer and searched for a person called _Merlin Emrys_ who lived in the same city.

And a little while later, he finally found him.

 _Oh no, he's hot._

Merlin Emrys, a fashion designer and an author. His bestselling novel – We All Matter and Here's Why You Do Too.

Arthur swallowed. Yes, he was the son of one of the most famous and richest person in the entire city and pretty much everyone knew who he was, but compared to this Merlin, he felt like nobody important... look at all that Merlin's already accomplished! And he was like 24 or something.

Huh. Maybe he should read his book.

With a sigh and after a hot cup of tea, Arthur finally picked up his phone and dialled the number again. Before he managed to start the call though, Merlin was already calling _him._

The word _destiny_ came to Arthur's mind, but soon he dismissed it and answered the call.

"Urgh, finally. You hit my car!" he started with a complaint.

"I know, I'm so sorry! I was really late for this meeting, and I wasn't looking, it's entirely my fault."

Arthur nodded to himself as he clicked on another photo of Merlin on the internet. How could this guy be so _cute_ and _hot_ at the same time? Oh, and he had Twitter, too!

"Do you have any idea how much this will cost?" Arthur asked him.

"Not really?"

He could hear an awkward laugh from Merlin and his anger almost disappeared.

"That'd be about 700 pounds."

The awkward laugh was quickly replaced by a loud swallow. Yes, it was a very expensive car. The damage wasn't _that_ serious though.

"Uh . . ."

"I could lower the price for you, if you want," Arthur suggested before he could stop himself. Yes, he was desperately alone, but that didn't mean he had to jump at every stupid chance to get a date because very obviously, _this_ was a bad idea. On the other hand, he was clearly cursed, so this most likely wouldn't work.

For a few seconds, there was silence, and just when Arthur wanted to say it was a joke, Merlin spoke.

"Okay. What do you have in mind?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. What was the chance that Merlin was even attracted to men in the first place? He'd never met the guy!

He swallowed. "A date?"

"A date?"

Arthur nodded and confirmed, "a date."

Again, for a few seconds there was silence. And then, "what's your name then?"

Was Merlin seriously considering this? Was he that desperate? Or poor?

"Arthur Pendragon."

A sharp intake of breath. " _The_ Arthur Pendragon?"

Arthur nodded. "Most likely, yeah."

"I hit the car of _the Arthur Pendragon?"_

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Mr Pendragon-"

"You can just call me _Arthur._ "

"I'm so sorry Arthur! I should have looked where the car was going, I shouldn't have tried to park in a hurry, I-"

"Would you _please_ calm down?" Arthur had to stand up to get a drink after he said that. "It's just a car, you didn't actually hurt anyone."

"Sorry."

"And stop apologizing."

". . . Sorry."

Arthur rolled his eyes again. So far, Merlin seemed likeable. And if he was really okay to go on a date, Arthur would do everything to make it the best date ever. Or it didn't even really have to be a date. Arthur had been very lonely lately, so he'd be fine with someone, anyone, keeping him company for a few hours. Someone who wasn't a jerk and a liar like his last date.

"So is that a deal?" Merlin asked after a while. "The date?"

Arthur's heart started beating a little bit faster.

"Yes," he said. "It's a deal."

"Great," he heard Merlin say. He could hear him smiling.

Was this actually happening? Did he just plan another date with a guy he'd never even met or heard of until a few minutes ago?

Was his curse broken?

"I'll pick you up, say, this Friday around six?"

He heard another soft laugh. "Perfect. I'll text you the address."

Surprisingly, Arthur found himself smiling as well.

The call ended and Arthur had to sit down again. His anger had turned into excitement, and another chance at love.

Maybe this date would end in a disaster and he'd regret everything later. Or it might turn out that this Merlin guy was actually really awesome, and that the damaged car was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.

A new tweet by Merlin appeared on the screen: _Omg I'm going on a date! *heart eyes emoji*_

Arthur smiled. He had a feeling that it would be the latter.

*THE END*

 **Fun fact, this is actually based on a real story. My mom once told me that this famous lady either from the Czech Republic or Slovakia, I can't remember, met her husband when he accidentally bumped her car in a hurry and left a little message behind the windscreen wiper with his phone number. Long story short, they got married. I thought it was a funny story and decided to write about Merlin and Arthur meeting like this :D** **I hope you liked it!**

 **Also posted on AO3, where I named the fanfic "Lucky Disasters" because naming it after the prompt was weird this time.**


	6. Details - The Art of Gift Giving

**This fanfic is based on my headcanon about Merlin's pillow that I noticed in 1x08 The Beginning of the End. (I'll include a screenshot in the AO3 version of this fanfic.) I'm sure Gaius had the same or very similar pillow, but I can't find the screenshot anywhere and I don't remember in which episode I noticed that.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the fanfic! :)**

 **(Rated T for language.)**

 **DAY 6**

 **December 23rd**

 **DETAILS**

Camelot was a strange and busy place. Merlin's barely been there for a week and he's already witnessed an execution, picked a major fight with the prince himself and got into prison, then saved him and got himself a job for said prince.

And a _dragon_ told him he had some kind of a destiny to fulfil or whatever, which, quite frankly, sounded like complete bullshit to him.

He grew up in Cendred's kingdom, and so many customs and things that everyone in Camelot knew was completely unfamiliar for him. He came here only knowing that it was a big city, magic was banned (the execution was a very friendly reminder of that), and that Gaius lived there and was the court physician.

Thank god Gaius had his best interest at heart and tried to familiarize him with everything in this huge castle. Merlin still couldn't believe he lived inside _a castle._

One such custom that Gaius was about to explain to Merlin today was the royal gift to the servants.

"That's such a nice pillow!" Merlin exclaimed when he noticed the pillow on Gaius' bed. He immediately went to examine it while Gaius kept stirring his potions on the table. "Where did you get it? It must have been expensive."

Gaius nodded. "The king gave it to me."

"Uther?" Merlin asked unbelievably. That man was capable of giving people gifts?

"Yes, it was many years ago, when I first started serving him," Gaius answered as he poured a clear liquid into the potion. It made a few bubbles loudly and then settled again.

"Why?" Merlin asked. "Did you heal him from some serious sickness or something?" He squeezed the pillow – it was more of a cushion, with beautiful ornaments on it – and then placed it back on Gaius' bed.

Gaius was silent for a moment, focusing on the softly bubbling liquid above the fire, and then he cleared his throat. "No, it's a tradition."

Merlin frowned in confusion. "What tradition?"

"Every servant working for someone of the royal family gets a gift during the first week or two. It's supposed to show that although you're just a servant, the royal family appreciate you're working for them."

Merlin slowly started smiling. "So does that mean-"

"Arthur should also give you some kind of a gift, the tradition hasn't changed."

Merlin's smile turned into a smirk. Maybe working for Arthur didn't have to be so bad if Arthur _had to_ give him a gift. Merlin doubted that prat was capable of thinking about anyone else other than himself, and Merlin was looking forward to seeing him all embarrassed thinking about Merlin and what to give him.

"Now come help me with this, I need some yarrow from the top shelf."

Merlin stood up to fetch the yarrow, but his smirk stayed on his face.

This was such a cool tradition. He couldn't wait to see what his gift would be!

xoXÖXox

Arthur was pacing in his chambers, from one wall to the opposite. He hated the fact that he had to give that Merlin boy a gift. That boy was such an idiot!

This was such a _stupid_ tradition. He couldn't believe that he actually had to give him a gift!

He didn't even know anything about him, so it had to be something useful for anyone. Or just something beautiful. But that would probably cost more money and he refused to spend more money on Merlin than he already had to pay him for his lousy service.

He sucked at everything he tried.

Arthur groaned very loudly and closed his eyes, letting himself fall facedown into his bed. He'd already asked Morgana, but she wasn't very helpful. She didn't know Merlin at all, obviously, and he couldn't exactly give Merlin a hairpin with a hairbrush that Morgana had given her maidservant.

Girls were different, it was easy to get a gift for them even though you didn't know them personally. All you had to buy was either something pretty or flowers.

But even though Arthur called Merlin a girl a few times already, that didn't change the fact that Merlin wasn't a girl.

And he wasn't a knight either, so Arthur couldn't just give him a sword or a dagger. He had the inkling that Merlin wouldn't appreciate it.

He groaned again and insulted Merlin and that stupid tradition in his head one more time, before he got up and decided to seek his father's help.

He was the king and had had many servants in his life, so he must have given many gifts. Maybe he'd be more useful than Morgana. Hopefully.

xoXÖXox

It has officially been a week since Merlin started working for Arthur. He had to muck out the stables like four times even though that was clearly the stable boys' job, he had to deal with Arthur's stinky socks, he got hit many more times than ever in his life while training with Arthur, and he constantly kept waking Arthur up too late, barely managing to also not forget the breakfast.

It was exhausting and often frustrating, but the day when Arthur would have to give Merlin a gift finally came.

It was late in the evening and Merlin yet again opened the door to Arthur's chambers, bringing him his dinner. Merlin could swear that Arthur ate more times a day than all citizens in the entire Camelot combined. But he pursed his lips, sighed, and successfully placed the heavy tray full of food on the table.

Maybe he should start lifting weights if Arthur kept eating like this.

Speaking of which, Merlin looked around the room, finally finding Arthur standing by the changing screen, looking at him awkwardly with his arms behind his back.

Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"I've brought you dinner."

"I can see that," Arthur nodded, not moving from the spot.

Merlin frowned in confusion. This was getting a little awkward. He took a step towards the door and pointed at it with his thumb.

"So if that's all-"

"Merlin, I've got a gift for you."

Merlin's heart skipped a beat. Arthur had the gift? So it was finally happening? Without intending to, a huge smile appeared on Merlin's face.

Then he quickly hid it and tried to look confused. He'd _enjoy_ this moment. "Gift? What gift?" he asked innocently.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Merlin could almost see how ridiculously difficult this was for Arthur. Merlin had to fight the urge to smirk.

"Surely Gaius must have explained this to you by now." Arthur told him, slightly irritated.

Merlin just pouted and shrugged at the prince.

Again, Arthur rolled his eyes in frustration. "There's this . . . _stupid_ tradition, according to which I have to give you a gift when you start working for me-"

"But that was like a week ago-"

"Shut up." Arthur sighed. "And . . . well, that's it. I need to give you a gift."

Merlin pouted again. "But why? What is the gift for?"

"It's . . . sort of a . . . uhm . . . it's just a gift, can't you accept that as an answer?" Arthur frowned at him as he stepped closer, now getting impatient.

"I just don't understand the point of the tradition." Merlin explained innocently. "Why would _you_ give me a gift?"

He almost felt sorry for Arthur and the torture he was going through right now. Almost.

"It's supposed to show you that . . . "

"That what?" Merlin shrugged at him again, patiently waiting for his answer.

Arthur rolled his eyes for the third time that evening. That was happening quite often as Merlin noticed.

"That I . . . _appreciate_ you and your work," Arthur finally mumbled, his cheeks slightly red with embarrassment.

Merlin couldn't hide his smile anymore. "I'm sorry, that you _what?"_

"You heard me, Merlin, I won't repeat myself."

"You appreciate me?"

Arthur groaned. "Just take the gift already so that we don't have to talk about it ever again."

"But I-"

"Not _ever_ again. Understood?" Arthur pierced him with his eyes, now holding the gift out for Merlin to take.

Merlin smirked but kept his mouth shut for once. He accepted the gift, eager to open it, when Arthur stopped him with his hand.

"Just open it outside, I'm too hungry to watch this. You're dismissed."

Merlin sighed, but then turned around and opened the door. "Goodnight, Arthur," he called into the room, but he got no answer.

So he just smiled down at the gift and finally started to open it on his way back to Gaius.

xoXÖXox

Gaius was tidying up his table, putting all the potions where they belonged on the shelves as well as books, and preparing to go to sleep. He was now only waiting for Merlin, who was yet again returning home late.

The old physician sat down on his bed, looking at the door and hoping that it would open and Merlin would walk in any minute now.

His hand landed on the pillow that Uther had given him so many years ago, and he smiled. He still appreciated the gift, just as he knew the king appreciated his hard work. Although he could be very stubborn sometimes and blinded by his hatred.

He sighed. Mere seconds later, the door finally opened and Merlin walked in with an expression that was very hard to read – disappointment but also some sort of ridiculousness was mixed in there.

"Merlin?" Gaius asked. "What is it?"

Merlin finally started laughing as he raised his hands. Gaius looked at what he was holding, and it was. . .

. . . an identical pillow to the one that Uther had given Gaius. Like literally, _exactly_ the same one.

Gaius had to laugh when he saw that. "I guess Arthur takes after his father in the art of gift giving.

Merlin put his arms down and looked at Gaius with a sigh. "Well, for both our sakes, let's hope he takes after Uther only in this."

They shared another laugh, and a few minutes later, Gaius finally lied down in his bed and closed his eyes. Merlin put the pillow under his head and also lied down, still proud at how he managed to get Arthur to tell him he appreciated him.

Yes, Camelot was a strange and busy place. But after spending more time here, Merlin was sure that eventually, he'd be happy to call this place home.

*THE END*

 **I hope you liked it! I also drew a little pillow as a section separator, so you can check that out on AO3 :) (archiveofourown DOT ORG / WORK /** **17128904**


	7. Finale - A Goodbye

**A few hours ago it's officially been 6 years since Merlin ended. Whoever's reading this, you're still here, and this entire fandom is still here. I'm so proud of us *tears up***

 **Alright, the last chapter and last fic is here. Today's prompt was to break some hearts . . . so I did. Well, mine at least.**

 **Enjoy the fic if you can and Merry Christmas! :)**

 **DAY 7  
December 24th**

 **FINALE**

 **...**

"Just . . . just hold me. Please . . . " Arthur tells him and pats his bare hand. It's all pointless anyway, they aren't getting anywhere without the horses and he's . . . he's far too weak.

He can barely feel Merlin breathing heavily beneath him.

There was only one thing to do now. One thing to say.

"There's . . . something I want to say . . . "

"You're not going to say goodbye."

Arthur knows that this is a goodbye, but if Merlin doesn't want him to, he won't say it. But he needs to say something that he's realized a very long time ago and never had the courage to voice.

The _love_ he has for Merlin feels infinite.

But before that, he also needs to say something more important. Because if it wasn't for Merlin, neither of them would even get to live this long.

Well . . . he knows it's his time to go.

"No, Merlin," he struggles to say as he looks up at him. Merlin needs to know this, Arthur knows that. "Everything you've done, I know now. For me, for Camelot . . . For the kingdom you helped me build . . . "

"You'd have done it without me."

Arthur laughs weakly, all his strength almost gone. "Maybe." He tries to keep the smile, for Merlin, but it's too hard. He does whatever he can to keep looking into Merlin's eyes, Merlin _needs_ to know how Arthur feels.

"I want to say . . . something I've never said to you before . . . " Arthur tries to turn his head more towards Merlin. Even though he's said this many times before, this is the first time he actually knows why Merlin needs to hear this. He knows what he's grateful for. "Thank you."

Arthur reaches up and touches Merlin on the back of his head . . . his hand . . . _falls_.

He can hear Merlin screaming, barely. It's quiet, but he knows it's actually really loud.

That wasn't all he wanted to say. He didn't realize it was going to be so fast . . .

He . . . can't feel . . . _just hold me_ , he thinks. _Please just hold me, I need you to hold me . . ._ He can feel Merlin's cold hands on his face.

Their foreheads touch and then . . . nothing.

 _Empty._

He's . . . _losing_ the world. He's losing it all.

He's losing . . . _Merlin_.

 _No_

He cannot _hear_. Feel. See. It's all gone. _He's_ gone.

 _Merlin, I love you_ , he screams into the void. The words he meant to say as his last. The most important words in existence, the most important . . .

 _I love you._

.

.

.

Silence.

.

Darkness.

.

 _Cold._

.

.

.

Suddenly, everything lights up. He can see and hear again, but just faintly. Everything is blurry, as if far away. But he's looking at a lake, and he knows he's standing on the shore.

Although he can't feel his legs touching the ground.

Maybe he can't feel anything anymore.

Or is this it? Is Merlin saving him? Does he have a chance to tell him how he feels? Is he alive again?

He blinks and his vision clears. He's staring at the lake of Avalon. There's an island with a tower on it.

Arthur turns around and sees Merlin, holding his . . . _body._ He's shaking, barely keeping it together and Arthur's body seems so . . . _lifeless._

It is. Arthur realizes.

"I've failed?" He hears Merlin's broken voice.

"No, young warlock. For all that you have dreamt of building has come to pass."

"I can't lose him! He's my friend!" Merlin screams.

Arthur wants to go to him, to hold him, _touch_ him. He doesn't want to see Merlin like this.

"Though no man, no matter how great, can know his destiny, some lives have been foretold, Merlin. Arthur is not just a king. He is the _Once and Future King._ Take heart for when Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again . . . It has been a privilege to have known you, young warlock. The story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of men."

Arthur listens to the words as he keeps looking at Merlin. Merlin collapses on the ground with Arthur's body next to him, and then he stands up, looking down at him.

Arthur wishes he could do something, tell Merlin what he meant to say, but he knows that it's too late now.

His life is over.

He watches over Merlin as he throws the sword into the lake. He watches over him as he collects the reeds around the lake to put on Arthur's boat. He watches over him as Merlin places his hand on Arthur's forehead and breaks down.

He watches over him.

 _I love you, Merlin_ , he whispers, though he knows that Merlin cannot hear him. He whispers it again and gently touches Merlin's wet cheek. His hand almost goes through it.

" _In sibbe gerest_."

He _kisses_ Merlin's forehead, closing his eyes. It's the least he can do. His last chance to say what he wanted to say but couldn't.

Maybe Merlin will hear him in his dreams.

 _It is time, Arthur Pendragon._

He hears a voice coming from the lake, but he doesn't turn away from Merlin. He takes one more moment to say goodbye . . . and then he finally leaves to follow the light.

 _It is time to sleep._

*THE END*

 **I used the transcript of the episode instead of actually watching it so that I wouldn't cry, but I cried anyway :( I really hope you enjoy Christmas this year, sorry for this chapter!**

 ***marks fic as complete***


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